Women's Basketball holds off UW-Eau Claire, 72-66

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – Alyssa Krajco's 26 points and 16 rebounds lifted the University of Wisconsin-Platteville women's basketball team past UW-Eau Claire, 72-66, Wednesday on Bo Ryan Court. 

Krajco's 26 points and 16 boards were game-highs and was her third double-double of the season. Junior Stacy Clark had a double-double of her own with 12 rebounds and 11 points, while senior Melissa Carmody netted 19 points. 

The Blugolds' Courtney Lewis led the team with 19 points, while Teenie Lichtfuss added 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists. 

Carmody scored the Pioneers' first eight points of the game, giving UW-Platteville a 8-2 lead. UWEC went onto score the next seven points, 9-8, but the Pioneers responded with a 10-2 run for a 18-11 lead with 7:39 left in the half. Carmody drilled a three-pointer in the final seconds of the half, giving the Pioneers a 31-24 advantage at the break. 

UW-Platteville led 41-30 with just over four minutes into the second half before the Pioneers scored 10 unanswered in less than two minutes for a 21-point lead, 51-30. The Blugolds managed to keep it a 17-point game going into the under-12-minute media timeout and came out of it scoring 13-straight points and making  it a four-point game, 54-50, with 8:39 to play. The Pioneers never allowed UWEC to take the lead, but Lichtfuss made it a two-point game, 68-66, with 51 seconds left.. A 30-second timeout by the Pioneers set up Clark for a little five-foot turnaround jumper with the shot clock winding down, putting UW-Platteville up by four with less than 30 seconds to play. Krajco corralled her 16th rebound on UWEC's last second three pointer and put the game away with a pair of free throws. 

UW-Platteville moves 2-1 in conference play for the first time since the 2009-10 season and are 6-4 on the year. 

The Pioneers won't return to action until Saturday, Dec. 28, when they take on Simpson at the JustAGame Holiday Classic in the Wisconsin Dells at 3:30 p.m.